Roofing or sheathing



(No Model.)

J. W. BEAUMONT. ROOFING OR SHEATHING.

hiented Deb; 29,

QQJ

. UNITED STATES PATENT J OIIN W. BEAUMONT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROOFING OR SHEATHING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,148, dated December 29, 1891.

Application filed June 15, 1891. Serial No- 396642. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IV. BEAUMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.. Louis, in the State of l\Iissouri,-have invented new and useful Improvements in Roofing or Sheathing, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to improve the roofing or sheathing for which Letters Patent were issued to me July 30, 1890, No. 408,066, and to provide a novel sheathing especially designed and adapted for conveniently laying over old shingled roofs, car-roofs, galleryfloors, and the like.

The invention consists in roofing or sheathing composed of separate blocks, each having an upper half of one end edge formed with a dovetailed tongue-piece, of which the upper surface is a prolongation of the top surface of the block, and the lower half of the opposite end edge having a water-gutter and formed with a prolongation, of which the lower surface is a continuation of the bottom surface of the block, said prolongation having its upper side inclined rectilinearly in a downward direction from its outer extremity to constitute the bottom wall of the gutter or channel and serve as a bearing for the dovetailed tongue-piece of an adjacent block, the construction being such as to render the blocks susceptible of being successively laid downward in a vertical plane to form a continuous surface, with the blocks so united as to prevent their accidental separation.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing two of the blocks laid together as in the formation of the roofing or sheathing. Fig.

2 is a detailed perspective view of one of the blocks; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein The numerals 1 indicate the blocks or plates,

which may be composed of Wood, metal, or other material suitable for the conditions required. The blocks are each provided at the upper half of one end edge with a dovetailed tongue-piece 2, the upper surface 3 of which is a prolongation of the top surface 4 of the block, while the lower surface 5 of the tonguepiece is inclined to produce the dovetailed construction. The lower half of the opposite end edge of the block is prolonged, as at 6, beyond the upper half 7 of such edge, and in this edge of the block is formed a water gutter or channel 8, the bottom wall of which is formed by the upper surface 9 of the extension or prolongation 6. The upper surface 9 of the prolongation or extension 6 is inclined rectilinearly in a downward direction from its outer extremity for the purpose of imparting a dovetailed form to such prolongation or ex tension and for adapting the latter to receive the dovetailed tongue-piece 2 of an adjacent block. Asexhibited by Fig. 1, the inclined lower surface 5 of a tongue-piece 2 rests upon the inclined top surface 9 of a prolongation or extension 6, and when the parts are in this position the blocks are in close contact, while a concealed water gutter or channel 8 is formed for properly conducting or carrying 0% any water that may leak through the meeting edges of the blocks.

By the peculiar construction described and shown I am enabled to successively lay the blocks downwardly in a vertical plane, which is particularly useful where the roofing or sheathing is to be applied over old shingled roofs, car-roofs, gallery-floors, and the like. The exterior or exposed surfaces of the blocks may be plane and parallel with the under surfaces of the blocks, as in Fig. 1; but obviously the exterior or exposed surfaces could be corrugated, fluted, or similarly constructed, as in Fig. 3, without changing the character of the invention. In Fig. 3 the construction in other respects is the same as described with reference to Fig. 1, and like reference-signs indicate corresponding parts.

The construction described renders the blocks susceptible of being laid downward in a vertical plane in contradistinction to being engaged by sliding one horizontally into engagement with another, as in my Letters Patent hereinbefore alluded to. By this means I provide a more simple and economical roofing or sheathing block and enable the same to be laid upon old shingled roofs, which is not practicable in the prior construction.

The roofing or sheathing described is comparatively inexpensive and is rendered practically watertight by the presence of the concealed water gutter or channel, while the formation of the blocks is such as to facilitate their manufacture by simplified machinery, if Wood is employed as the material. It will be obvious, however, that the blocks could be constructed of cast-iron 01' other metal or of some plastic material capable of being molded or pressed into the required shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- A roofing or sheathing composed of similar blocks laid edge to edge, each block having the upper half of one edge formed with a dovetailed tongue-piece, of which the upper surface is a prolongation of the top surface JOHN XV. BEAUMONT.

lVitnesses:

GEORGE B. VocEL, P. TAYLOR BRYAN. 

